Family Moments
by flavored-band-aids
Summary: Little family moments can mean the most, especially to a growing five year old who's constantly learning about her extended and immediate family's past. Post Reaper-War. Mostly cute drabble.
1. Chapter 1: Necklaces

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, any of their characters, or their amazing story/plot lines. Credit for that goes to Bioware and EA. If I did, a movie would be in the works. This fanfic is purely for entertainment purposes. Please don't sue me. I don't have the money to fight back. I'm too busy saving up for all your upcoming DLC. *insert cheesy smile here***

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**Family Moments:**

**Ch. 1: Necklaces**

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She knew he was important.

Where ever they went, no matter what planet in what system, he was always greeted with respectful hand-shakes and smiles. Some women and men even took the opportunity to grace (more like surprise) him with a hug, teary-eyes, and 'thank you's. If that wasn't enough, the eye appealing 'pieces of papers', 'buttons', and 'necklaces' that decorated the halls and fireplace mantle of their home was a dead giveaway. She knew he was important, but never how important.

Today, five days after her fifth birthday, was the day she finally had built up the courage and strength to drag a chair from the dining room to fireplace located in the living room. Hauling herself up onto the chair and standing on her tippy-toes, the girl ran her three-fingered hand on the center 'necklace'; a golden polished star, dangling from a light-blue silk fabric.

After a few long moments she finally closed her hand around the star and tugged the 'necklace' from its display. With a happy smile, she plopped down on the cushion of the chair and cradled the 'necklace' in her hands. Finally she was able to touch it. That pretty 'necklace' that was always teasing her with its beauty.

The first thing she noted was that the star was cold to the touch. That and that the star was very tough; it didn't break, even when she tried to twist it. It was nothing like the necklaces she used in her dress-up games. Those necklaces broke when they caught on anything, and their little pendants always gave-way to her twists. This was the first time she realized that this 'necklace' was special. She was so drawn into the star, that she hadn't even noticed the heavy foot-steps that entered the living room.

" What are you doing?" The question from the human made her jump despite how curious the male sounded. The child reacted quickly, shoving the 'necklace' behind her back; trying to hide the fact she was caught in the act.

" nothhhiiinnnggg." She drew out the word, hoping he would exit the room and leave her alone. Any other time she was running towards the man, welcoming his presence, telling him about every little thing that popped into her mind, fumbling him with questions, and ideas of games; not right now though.

She watched as his blue eyes flicked up to the mantle of the fire place to take in the display missing its 'necklace'. After a moment a soft smile graced his face and he crossed his arms, approaching her slowly," Really? Nothing at all?"

Quickly she nodded, her eyes drifting to look at the ground, then to the wall to her left, looking at anything but him. It couldn't be avoided though, because when she finally glanced ahead of her, she was greeted with the sight of his five-fingered hand; palm up and waiting.

Biting her bottom lip she slowly brought the star 'necklace' in front of her. Taking a last glance at it, savoring the final touches she would have of it, she reluctantly placed the 'necklace' into his palm. Her hands then retreated behind her, where she started to wring her hands behind her back. A nervous tick she had, visually gained from her mother, but with her own spin on it.

She watched as he looked over the star, running his thumb over it a few times before she finally spoke," I…I was just looking at it." She sputtered out nervously," I wasn't gonna break it! I just thought….it was pretty and….and…" Her bottom lip slowly stuck out and quivered. Now she was on the verge of tears.

His laugh threw her off.

" It's o.k. Calm down. I'm not mad."

She looked up with wide-eyes now. He wasn't mad?

Slowly he moved to wrap a strong arm around her before he hoisted her up into him. Like usual she wrapped one of her arms around his neck so he could move his arm down, creating a seat with his forearm for her small bottom. Once she was comfortable she rubbed her eyes with a fist, banishing the tears away." You're not mad?" She checked.

He returned a smile and shook his head," Not one bit."

Silence fell over them for a long moment before she finally spoke," Why do you have so many necklaces?"

He chuckled happily now before he nodded a few times," Ahhh…that's a long story and I don't think mommy would like it if I told you all of it yet."

Curiosity hit her like a freight train now.

" We have time. Mommy's still making dinner. Besides." She leaned into him a bit more." I can keeps a secret." She whispered to him loudly before nodding.

He then carried her over to the couch and sat down, placing her on his lap before he handed her back the 'necklace'." Alright….I'll tell you a little bit." He offered.

Grinning widely, she quickly pulled the necklace on and then stared up at him waiting for her story.

" You know how every year, we go to Earth and see the memorial wall?"

She nodded then," Of course. It's the one with all the names on it. And when we go we always see Uncle Garrus and Auntie Katsumi and Uncle Joker and-"

The man quickly spoke before the list grew any further." Yes yes. Well….That wall, with all the names on it, was put up to honor the people who fought in the Reaper Wars; six years ago." He nodded." You remember your teacher telling you about the Reaper War?"

She nodded her head once firmly, taking a moment to tuck a long raven wavy haired lock back behind her ear." Yeah. But she said we would learn about it a bit later."

" Well….six years ago, I was also in that war."

Her mouth fell open as she let gasped loudly." No. Way."

" Way." He returned before he continued," Not only that….but…I kinda was very important in that war. I had to lead people, had my own special team, heck- you know our ship outside? Well that was the head ship, the one Uncle Joker flew to lead the fleets into battle."

Her eyes were as wide as little moons now, staring up at her father as if he was a hallucination." Really? That's so cool!"

Releasing a chuckle he nodded his head." Yeah. Well in that war I helped a lot of planets and governments, rescued and saved a lot of people from the Reapers. Those people and their planets gave me all the awards and medals." Nodding his head he then pointed at the 'necklace' around her neck." The Alliance gave me that one. It's called a Medal of Honor."

" A Medal of Honor…." The young Quarian repeated as her eyes drifted down to the star around her neck," So…it's like a thank you gift?" She questioned tilting her head to the side.

" Exactly." He replied before he continued," A very, VERY, big thank you gift. Only a few people have ever gotten those; Have ever gotten any of these awards."

" So you did a lot then." She concluded." 'Cause you have A LOT of them."

Laughing the brunette nodded," Yeah…I did a lot; your mommy too. She's got a few up there that are hers." The two glanced up to the fireplace mantle then. Suddenly the girl jumped down from her father's lap and hurried over to the chair still by the fireplace. Climbing back on it, she stood on her toes and placed the medal back on its display. She straightened up then and turned back to face her father.

" I'm gonna get a medal too." She declared then before she jumped off the chair and onto the ground." Like you and mommy, I'm going to get a medal."

The two looked at each other for a long moment before a voice broke their focus.

" John! Lia! Dinners ready!"

" Coming Mommy!" Lia quickly called as she darted from the living room and into the dining room for dinner, leaving her father alone.

John stood then, going over to the chair left by the fireplace, stopping when the medal caught his eye. Looking at it for a long moment he slowly smiled. He couldn't wait for the day he could replaced these medals with ones earned by his daughter. Until then, these old ones him and his wife received through war would have to do.

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**Author's Note: ****I'll be posting little post Reaper drabble things in Family Moments sporadically. Honestly the only reason why this came to be is because I've been hitting a road block with 'After the Storm' and 'Official Report'. I can visualize their chapters in my mind, but I'm having a hard time putting it in words. So yeah. If anyone has any cute ideas they wanna maybe see between Shepard, Tali, and their little Lia (or any of the extended Normandy family) drop me a line. I'll most likely attempt to write it for you if you want.**

**P.s. Little Lia is a Quarian. Just wanna make that clear. I haven't really decided yet if I want her to be adopted or some lab baby miracle. I know, hate me away, but seriously. It's the year 2186 when ME3 takes place, and we all saw what was going on at the base in Sur'Kesh. I mean Mordin cured the genophage on the Normandy when supplies weren't the best. I'm pretty sure a group of Salarians can make a Quarian/Human baby possible by studying how Asari reproduce and making an adaptation of it. You know, by taking at least John and Tali's physical (in the sense of facial, eye color, skin, hair color) DNA pieces and combining them into a Quarian structure so Tali can safely be pregnant and all. I mean if Miranda's father can pick and choose everything he wanted about Miranda, while simultaneously using nearly only his genes- I think they've managed to conquer most of the DNA barriers. Just saying. If you don't like it, you don't have to read.**

**Give me love by reviewing or commenting.**


	2. Chapter 2: All That Matters

**Thanks to CallsignReaper01, Lord Nikoli Esquire, ****rebfan90****, Dysgwr, Kats4u, facemelter, and the anonymous guests for comment/reviewing. I love all your input, roasting, and encouragement. Also thank you to all those who favorite-d and are now following this story. It's people like you that make people like me want to type more. Again, wanna see your idea come to life? Make a suggestion! I'll see what I can do!**

**Again I don't own the Mass Effect series, the characters, or story/plots. That belongs to Bioware and EA. If I did Wrex would have been able to join the ground crew again in ME3 like Ash/Kadian, Liara, Garrus, and Tali.**

**For Kats4u.**

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**Family Moments**

**Ch.2: All That Matters**

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Lia hated handwriting. Its concept all around irked her.

How the fact that once, years ago, people used sheets of trees and charcoal sticks to write everything down. It was so wasteful, so useless, and so primitive. What tugged her chain even more was how father insisted on her learning such an old past-time thing. When questioned why, he replied with, _'One day you'll thank me'_ or _'I know it and I think you should too' _and left the conversation at that.

If that wasn't enough, whenever she wrote things in her own hand it looked like a scratchy mess. It was nothing like the smooth perfection of her father's. Even though his letters were all caps (only distinguishing the capital letters by writing it much bigger than the rest that followed) each line was written beautifully. Straight with a light hinting italic tilt to it.

In all honesty though, it wasn't handwriting that Lia hated…it was writing in general. Whenever she was assigned to write anything her little mind would draw a blank. Her stories would sound dull and listing. She would turn into a VI during presentation hour, void of all emotion. In all it was not her pouch of juice. So when her teacher assigned for her and her little class mates to write about a regular weekend day, she dreaded it.

It was no surprise then that Lia was slouching in her tiny seat, hoping that by slumping down she would disappear from her teacher's gaze. She didn't want to go up and stand in front of her mixed species class and present her 'normal day' to everyone. Specially if she had to follow up the young Asari girl that was speaking now.

"Then, comes we come home from my dance lessons, I help my mother bake and sometimes when we make sweets she lets me lick the batter off the spoon. Then we…"

The Quarian closed her eyes then, her hands drifting up to tug at her hood as the Asari went on and on about her mothers. Dance lessons, cooking, baking, the list went on and on and on. If someone could win a crown for doing so many extra activates this Asari took it with a glance. She managed to do everything she wasn't allowed to do.

Lia cooking was out of the question, especially since last time she mixed up the Dextro and Levo ingredients when her mother was cooking. That night hadn't turned out the best, but thankfully John was the only one who got sick in the end. Lia was also embarrassed to dance in front of people now due to her uncle Joker. He had laughed when she tried to dance to a little beat she heard playing through the ship's speakers one time; pointing out to her father that she was performing a better version of the 'Shepard Shuffle'…..whatever that was. Her father had lost his smile after that comment and had promptly given a glare that made the shipping entrepreneur flee before he could feel the wrath of his business partner. As she thought about it, all the activities her friends did at home she could almost pretty much find fault with it.

She was snapped out of thought though when she heard the class clapping, signaling that the Asari had finished reading her assignment. Slowly she brought her hands together for three slow claps then proceeded to shrink in her seat when she saw her human teacher's eyes wandering over the class for the next speech victim.

"Lia? Why don't you come up now darling and read us how your day goes." The blonde haired woman encouraged with a soft smile.

Shifting in her seat Lia reluctantly sat up a bit." I forgot…about my homework."

"Then what's that paper sitting on your desk dear?" Silence swallowed the room for a moment before Lia reluctantly slid her chair back and stood. She grabbed her assignment then proceeded to drag her feet as she slipped into the isle and made her way to the front of the room. Taking her place, the girl held the paper in front of her for a moment before she glanced over at the teacher.

"Whenever you're ready." Her teacher encouraged warmly as she took a seat on the side of her desk, waiting for Lia to start.

The young Quarian sighed then before her eyes looked over to the paper. Taking a deep breath she started to read the scratchy writing.

"First I get up. Usually my Mommy wakes me up and helps me get dressed-"She was interrupted by a nosey little human boy in the back.

"You actually get out of that suit?" The boy was quieted immediately with a glare from the teacher. The blonde woman then softened once again as she looked back at Lia," Go ahead."

Shifting her weight from foot to foot the young Quarian started once again. "My mommy wakes me up and helps me get dressed into my dress and sandals. Then I eat breakfast with my mommy and daddy. My Mommy and me and Daddy- if he's not on a busy trip- then go take the shuttle over to the city. My mommy then goes to work with the Admirals and me and my Daddy go to see my Uncle Joker. Then we go to see my daddy's ship. Sometimes I get to help fix up the Normandy when there are problems. If she's all fixed up though, my daddy lets me play with the map that shows where all the planets and the galaxies are. Sometimes if Ken or Gabby isn't busy, we pretends to drive the Kodiak and go on adventures."

The girl couldn't help but pause then, smiling at the thoughts of the three of them playing in the Kodiak. Having little adventures complete with sound effects, Gabby and her bring heros, and Ken usually dying in their imaginary scenarios. Shaking her head, realizing she was spacing out in the middle of her presentation she looked back down to the paper in her hands. Lia then brought the paper close to her face so she could try and decipher the sentence she'd written." If I'm really lucky, I get to see more of my family like my Auntie Kasumi and my Uncle Garrus who tell me stories about all the planets they've been on. Sometimes my cousins are there too and we play tag and hide-and-go-peek and Pyjak, Pyjak, Varren."

Stopping for a moment Lia flipped over the paper in her hands, deciding to skip over lunch time and how they had to sterilize her food. Keeping her head down she continued." Then me and my Daddy go meet my mommy and we all take a shuttle home. We eat dinner and then usually go walk on the beach. Me and my mommy pick up seashells and make castles. When we get home, I take a bath and then my mommy and daddy tuck me into bed."

Lowering the paper from her face she raised her head up and finished." And that's my day."

Glancing over her classmates, she was greeted with the site of dropped mouths. Then the shock wore off from the young crowd.

"THE NORMANDY?" the same young human boy shouted from the back.

"My mom says that there is a stealer named Kasumi!" The Asari who had spoken before her piped out to the teacher.

"Isn't Archangel named Garrus?" A seasoned Turian 'super-hero' fan questioned over the blue girl.

"You know how to play Pyjak, Pyjak, Varren!" A young Krogan roared happily as he stood up quickly, his desk tumbling forward as he did so.

Similar shouts, yells, and questions up roared through the room, leaving Lia to stand there awkwardly. Despite everything though, the jumbling positive questions were starting to be over-run by negative ones.

"You're lying!"

"Quarian's don't come out of their suits!"

"My dad says Quarian's don't own ships! They steals them! So your dad can't have a ship!"

"NOW SHE'S REALLY LYING!"

Slowly Lia started to shrink down now in the front of the class." I'm not lying... That's just how my weekends go. I mean sometimes my Mommy goes with me and my Daddy-" The girl was once again interrupted. The angry comments continued to build and over throw the positive ones. It was slowly becoming too much, no matter how hard the teacher tried to quiet the class down and handle the situation. With a mask hiding her spilled tears, the Quarian dropped the paper in her hands and darted out the door of her classroom without a second thought.

~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~

She didn't know how long she hid in the closet that contained the school's cleaning supplies, but apparently it was long enough to get the teachers worried and frantic- resulting a call home to her parents, because no one else in the school would have found her otherwise.

Glancing up, she was blinded for a moment by the light that flooded into the dark room. After her eyes adjusted, she was greeted with the sight of her dad. They stared at each other for a moment before he looked to his left at her teacher who was standing next to him. He went ahead and mumbled something to her. After that, she watched at the Asari woman's fact twisted into pure confusion as he slipped into the cleaning closet with the Quarian girl, shutting the door behind him.

Lia watched as he flicked on the light switch, then as he struggled to find room in the cramped hidey hole with her. Even through upset tears, she couldn't help but smile then laugh as a mop fell and whapped the former soldier on the head. She watched as he rubbed his head then glance down at her.

"You laughing at me?" He questioned with a smile, making Lia shut right back up and draw her bowed legs into her chest.

"No." She replied stubbornly through a sniffle.

Shoving the mop back to lean on the wall John finally crossed his legs, settling besides Lia. Releasing a sigh, he let silence wash over them. It was a good five minutes before Lia finally leaned over to rest on her father's arm, a que. that she was ready to talk to him now." They called me a liar."

Wrapping his arm around the girl the brunette spoke," And did you lie?"

Lia quickly shook her head," No. I told the truth. I just told them our weekend!" She protested snuggling her mask into his side more; welcoming the comfort he was giving her.

She could feel him nod his head firmly, could imagine him wearing what her mommy dubbed his 'Commander Shepard face' after her words." Well….then you have no reason to cry. Listen."

He drew her up from his side and onto his lap, holding her close and letting her snuggle into his chest so she could calm down." If you didn't lie then you have nothing to be upset about."

"But they didn't believe me!" Lia cried, getting worked up once again only to have her father give a firm nod.

"I understand-"

"How could you!"

"Because once upon a time, when I first learned about the Reapers, no one believed me about the Reapers." The admission threw Lia a curve ball.

"Really?" She peeped.

"Really really. A lot of people called me a liar…..said that I was crazy."

Sniffling once again Lia slowly pulled out of her father's chest and looked up at the man." What did you do to make them believe you?"

"Well…" She watched his eyes glanced up in thought." ….at first I tried doing whatever I could to prove it. Then….I learned that it didn't matter if I couldn't make someone believe me. If they didn't want to believe me, they weren't going too, and no amount of proof could change their mind. So I did what I could to stop the Reapers by myself." He looked back down to the girl then before he continued," All that I mattered Lia was that I knew they were real.

What I'm trying to say Lia, is that it doesn't matter what you're classmates think. You can't make them believe you, but that's o.k. You know what's true. That's all that matters." The girl then nodded and snuggled into her father's embrace even more, shutting her eyes and enjoying the silence.

She didn't know when she fell asleep, but when she came-to enough, she felt herself being carried. She didn't even have to guess who was carrying her, because she knew the familiar position her father carried her in when she was sleeping; her head resting on one of his shoulders for a pillow while she used one of his forearms as a seat, his other arm was wrapped around her frame to keep her close. It was no surprise to her when she opened her eyes and was greeted with the sight of the flesh of his neck.

With a small yawn, she lifted her head so she could rest it on the other side and look out over his shoulder; an attempt to get more comfortable. She was greeted with the sight of her classmates staring at her through the classroom window. Most were shocked, some were already clamoring to their teacher. To say the least they believed her now.

If they didn't, it was alright to she realized. Because she knew the truth and that was all that mattered.

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**Author's Note: I do apologize for making this a little sad in the middle, but I ran with a spin on Kats4u's request. Don't worry, happy ending! I figured Shepard would be very ambient that Lia get exposure to a 'mixed species' type schooling from the being, that way she wouldn't grow up to hold the racist views depicted with other species. (old habits die hard though with other parents and their children apparently). I imagine these schools to be rather exclusive though so yeah.**

**Yes I made Garrus a Turian idol of sorts. For some reason I imagine a T.v. show being made about his Archangel years. And yup, Kastumi is still stealing things. Tali is still an Admiral. I also imagine Shepard to be an in-active Spectre, the council only calling on him when it's really REALLY important (those are his 'busy trips'). Otherwise in this series, Shepard opened up a shipping company with a partner. ****John and his partner hired most of the Normandy crew who wanted to stay around. The business name is **Moreau Shipping and Co. Can you guess who his partner is? For the sake of keeping the Normandy around, Shepard bought the Normandy with his back-pay when the girl was deemed 'unstable'. After all, she was in 'bad shape' when she returned to Earth. Liara of course had nothing to do with forging those false reports to make it easier with the buying process. :D

**To everyone, especially the guest who left the very long important point, I would like to make it clear that I understand that Asari don't actually use their partner's DNA in creating a child. I understand that creating a human/quarian hybrid isn't a martini, and that getting the 'right mix' the first time is near to impossible. I understand that to get the 'final product' there would be trial and error; a.k.a experiments that can/will lead to terrible results. I understand the experiments would cost not only millions (billions/trillions) in credits but also come with a high death poll. I would like to make it clear that one day I will attempt a more serious series concerning this subject.**

**But until then, I would like to send a special thank you to CallsignReaper01. You were right to remind me that I should focus on Lia and that '**_**….it's not about how she was born it's the fact that she is their kid'**_**. So with this in mind, I decided to not reveal how Lia came to be in this fic.**

**Show me love by faving, following, and reviewing.**


	3. Chapter 3: Missions and Rewards

**Thanks to Ificationer, Kats4u, DHooves, Fandango, Corgie, ****SilentPony**** , and the anonymous guests for comment/reviewing. I love all your input, roasting, and encouragement. Also thank you to all those who favorite-d and are now following this story. It's people like you that make people like me want to type more.**

**Again I don't own the Mass Effect series, the characters, or story/plots. That belongs to Bioware and EA. If I did Urz would have been on the Normandy after the Tuchanka missions.**

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**Family Moments:**

**Ch. 3: Missions and Rewards**

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"Why aren't you wearing your clothes?" Lia questioned as she glanced up to her Aunt, swinging their hands slightly as they walked with the crowds in the art museum. Much farther ahead of them, their tour guide raddled on about their newest exhibit and how they would pass through it before the end of the tour.

"I am wearing clothes. You should pay attention to our guide. There is so much to learn-"

"No why aren't you wearing _your_ clothes?"

The Japanese woman then stopped at the questioned and glanced down at the little Quarian. Moving them out of the way and off to a corner, she knelt down to Lia's height. Puckering her lips for a moment, the woman finally spoke," I'm undercover, on a mission right now. Now if I wore my regular clothes these people who are walking around here would know who I was….so….I had to change."

"So they wouldn't catch you."

"Exactly." A perfect smile spread across the thief's lips before she continued," So. Here's a very important question my dear. Would you like to help me with my mission?"

Rising on her toes, her smile pushing her illuminated eyes into squinted slits, Lia nodded her head vigorously." Of course auntie K, but does that mean we have to stay with our guide person? She talks a lot about boring stuff."

Letting out a light laugh, Kasumi shook her head," Of course not. I can teach you more information than she can anyways. Now come on."

"Wait!" Tugging on the thief's designer pants, Lia waited as the human knelt back down so they could continue their previously hushed conversation." What exactly is the mission?"

Kasumi took a moment to look to her left, then slowly to her right, before she leaned into Lia a bit more," To make sure you learn something."

Lia tipped her head back and groaned then," My Daddy gave you this mission didn't he?" the girl complained making her aunt grin once again as she watched the child's emotions pull a 180.

"And your Mommy fully supported it. They would be here themselves if they weren't talking to some stubborn council members on the Citadel, but don't worry you see this museum was built especially for little kids like you." She watched as her aunt stood and offered her hand to the girl.

Lia reluctantly took her aunt's hand and let the human woman lead her off through the large archway that was the entrance to the first exhibit. The outsized room was overflowing with families, the children tinkering and participating with the interactive teaching displays. The programs and activities in this room though were dedicated to the Krogan.

The games and activities explained a various range of things: the 'delicacies' Tuchanka offered their people, a more kid friendly explanation of what the Rite of Passage was, who Kalros was – complete with her impressive 'Reaper take-down' video, the nuclear fallout among clans, information on the Krogan's involvement in the Rachni Wars, the list went on. They even had a new addition about their recently re-discovered artistic sides, legends, and pictures of the rebuilt and flourishing cities.

Immediately, Lia was dragged into the same spell of disguised entertainment filled history as the rest of the children in the room were and soon she was towing her willing Aunt to one of the little activities which was labeled 'are you stronger than a Krogan?'.

Kasumi couldn't help but laugh then as she watched her little niece tug on the pull bar with all her might, trying to surpass the averaged out weight a Krogan could lift which was displayed virtually on the wall behind her. To say the least, she was no were close, but that was besides the fact because it was adorable to watch the young Quarian try anyways.

~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~

The picture and video filled day went smoothly for the two as they continued on, visiting each specie dedicated exhibit and participating in every one of their little programs. The only one Lia and Kasumi had a problem with was the small Hanar dedicated room. "Giant squids are still too preachy." Kasumi declared after five minutes before they had darted away to the Salarian hall.

The two had spent most of their time in the Quarian exhibit though, for obvious reasons. Lia excelled at the games, built a little RC model live ship all by herself, and had even received a gold sticker for being 'the fastest engineer of the week'. She enjoyed the educational vids more too because once in a while they'd show a flash of city she'd visited before, or briefly show a person she knew. What really had her bouncing on her feet with joy though was when they'd found a small five minute video on the Admirals.

Tali's section of the video had been very short-lived, due to the fact she hadn't been on the panel nearly as long as the others, but that didn't stop Lia from brimming with pride either way. Her mommy had made it into a museum, the Quarian section of the museum at that, and that was all that mattered.

It was when they hit the human section of the museum; Lia noticed her Aunt's mood shift. Less and less pictures were being taken of them participating in activities, the replacement being the statues in cases, or artwork hanging on the walls. One painting though, made her Aunt's mouth drop.

"Auntie K? What's wrong?" Lia questioned as she glanced up to her Aunt only to be suddenly dragged quickly off to the other side of the room. The child then grunted slightly when they stopped in front of a painting. A weird painting at that, but Kasumi seemed to see something Lia didn't. "What is it?"

Gasping the Japanese woman looked down at the girl and gestured to the painting," It's a Dali!"

"All I see is melting circles." The Quarian returned flatly.

Sighing Kasumi rolled her eyes," That's right your father has no sense of art past a battle field. Alright this painting was painted by a human man named Salvador Dali in 1931. It's a very VERY rare sight. Most human masterpieces like this have been lost." The Japanese woman sighed then as she admired the painting a bit more.

"So….is he like your favorite?"

"One of them yes." Kasumi responded quickly as she activated her omi-tool and started to take high resolution pictures of the painting then videos of it and its surroundings.

"Maybe we can find you one!"

Kasumi slowly smiled," its o.k_…" _She faded off as Lia went ahead and grabbed her hand before tugging her out of the exhibit and towards the gift shop.

"There's gotta be one you can have though!" The Quarian stated persistently.

"….I know where I can find the real one though…." The woman muttered with a grin. The thief found a new mission.

~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~

"Too easy." The robber muttered as she cloaked and continued through the museum. Lasers were a breeze, expertly avoided with flexibility and athleticism. Night guards were effortless, skillfully knocked out with a quick pinch to the pressure point in the neck. Cameras were fooled with a wave of her omi-tool and a looped empty hallway vid. It was no surprise then when Kasumi finally came to her prize.

"Hello again." She greeted the painting with a grin as she tapped on her omi-tool, decloaking. The thief tapped her tool a few more times then as she brought up a program to deactivate all the security lasers and security protocols protecting the painting. With a wave everything was deactivated.

Working quickly, the thief opened up one of her pockets and brought out a special leather bag that would protect her prize through transport. As she unfolded it though, the Japanese woman heard a small _tap tap_ hit the floor. Looking around, the thief stopped noticing a small folded white piece of paper now lying on the ground.

Carefully Kasumi knelt down and picked up the paper before she unfolded it.

'_Thank you for takings me to the museums. It was so much funs! I learned so much! Mommy says that I even learned about things she didn't know! I'm sorry we couldn't find your painting Auntie, but maybe you'll like this one more!_

_Love Lia.'_

Raising a brow, Kasumi flipped the paper over. Her brain stopped when it revealed….

….a sloppy childish copy of the painting hanging on the wall in front of her. The thief's hand drifted up to cover her mouth then as she took in the attempt copy of her favorite painting; _The Persistence of Memory._ Slowly a smile covered the burglar's lips.

" Oh Lia…" Peace washed over the woman now as she took in the mini masterpiece. She'd accomplished the mission her Commander had given her…..and was rewarded.

Looking up at the real Dial in front of her she started to realize this museum actually did its job and helped her out with her mission in the process. Her thoughts wandered off then…..

"Maybe this place deserves a little reward too…"

~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~

"…..and now, we turn away from the weather to a special report from Ali Johnson. Ali."

"Thanks Tom. Behind me is the new Museum of Galaxy History. Built two years ago, this museum took a new approach on trying to teach the younger generations by mixing priceless collections of artwork, historical statues, and photos with programs and activities geared towards children; in hopes they would learn more about the rare pieces and cultures of the galaxies many species.

But that is not why I'm here today. I'm here because last night there was an odd break-in. For you see after going through each exhibit and authenticating the masterpieces, the museum and police were greeted by some stunning information: Nothing was stolen, but something was left behind."

John stopped then, glancing up from his desk to the TV when he heard the reporter's words. Getting up from his desk, temporarily abandoning his e-mails, he walked over to the TV and crossed his arms as the attractive human blonde woman continued.

"You heard me right. Museum workers were greeted with the sight of this rare and presumed lost painting on the wall; Leonardo Da Vinci's _Mona Lisa_. This piece was also found with a note; seemingly from the burglar.

'_In honor of all your hard work, I leave this reward for the museum. Please take care of it and make this its new home._

_Yours truly.' "_

John smiled and shook his head then." Kasumi….what made you do that?"

* * *

**Author's Note: I had to sit in line for two hours to get good IMAX Batman seats; totally worth it because I have more of these things outlined and some ready to post. The ending to this is a little rushed compared to the beginning though; movie line started moving. Have you ever had to fight off Batman crazed fans for good seats? No? They can be scary.**

**But yeah, Kasumi made an appearance!**

**For those who don't know what the _The Persistence of Memory_ is (how dare you!) go to wikipedia and look it up. You'll feel like a moron.**

**Have any requests or suggestions on what I should write? Send me a message or comment/review! I'll see what I can do.**

**Requests in-production:**

**A Day With the Psychotic Biotics _for Corgie_**

**The Great Urz Adventure _for Kats4u_**

**Old Reliable _for Fandango_**

**_? for Rebfan90_**


	4. Chapter 4: Return of the Metal Monster

**Thanks to Kats4u, I Max95, Sollieus, PinkiePie,SilentPony, Jack RB, CyanB, Strider-of-porcupines, Rainbows, and the anonymous guests for comment/reviewing. I love all your input, roasting, and encouragement. Also thank you to all those who favorite-d and are now following this story. It's people like you that make people like me want to type more.**

**Again I don't own the Mass Effect series, the characters, or story/plots. That belongs to Bioware and EA. If I did, Javik would have made some enraged statement whenever I wore my Collector Armor in ME3.**

**For Alex.**

* * *

**Family Moments:**

**Ch. 4: Return of the Metal Monster**

* * *

" What is that?"

The young Quarian watched as her mother snorted then grumbled before tightly crossing her arms across her chest. Following her Tali's gaze, she was greeted by a sight that only made her smile widely under her mask; her father giddily hurrying around the large recently retrieved metal 'hunk-of-junk' that was placed in the Normandy's cargo hold.

"My God." Lia glanced over and up to her left as Cortez walked up and stopped on the other side of her. She observed as he hooked a thumb into the belt loop of his pants and grinned," Is that a Mako?"

" Unfortunately." Turning her head, the youngster only watched as her mother nodded her head once firmly.

Rocking on her toes a bit Lia tilted her head in confusion," But Grunt said a Mako was a human shark. Y'know…" She raised her hands up to make a fin on top of her head then as an explanation, resulting in a hearty laugh from Cortez.

" Yes yes, there is a shark species named Mako, but this-" Cortez gestured to the metal monster with a wave of his hand," –is a M35 Mako, it's favorable short-name Mako."

" Oh." A silence fell between the three as they watched John run his hand fondly on the Mako's metal side then pat one of its flat tires." What's _this_ Mako Mommy?" Lia broke the silence then as she looked up to her mother.

" A horror on wheels." Tali grumped out, her eyes narrowing at her husband's excited actions. The child blinked then confusedly, opening her mouth to speak again but her father cut her off.

" Tali! Look! She's finally home!" The Spectre shouted happily as he turned to look back at Lia, her mother, and Cortez." Joker picked her up as a gift! Flew all the way to Alchera and dug her out of that frozen hell hole."

" That bosh'tet is going to pay." Tali griped under her breath, her mood fouling with revelation that one of Lia's Uncles was behind all this.

Never the less, Lia left Tali and Cortez's side and hurried over to get a closer look at the Mako herself. Only then did she actually _realize_ how big the Mako really was compared to her. She wasn't even as tall as it's wheel. Never the less, it didn't scare her off. If anything, it added even more to her amazement." Daddy? Can I go inside it?" She finally squeaked out in excitement as she rose hopefully on her toes.

She watched as John took a moment to scratch the stubble on his chin, pretending to think, but never the less drawing impatience out from the child. Finally the wide grin appeared on his face, giving the girl the answer she so desperately wanted. With a jump in her step she hurried around to the Mako's side and gently ran her hand underneath it until she her fingers brushed across a latch. Lia tugged once with her hand- nothing. She tugged it a bit harder- still nothing. It was only once she added both hands and placed one of her feet on the Mako's wheel for leverage, did the hatch open with a loud pop and then a hiss.

Inside, the Mako looked as clean and untouched as it had nine years ago. There was no trace of significant damage in the vehicle. Sure it needed a bit of updating, but that was nothing compared to the hell the metal monster had been through.

Lia climbed up into the vehicle, her eyes immediately taking everything in: The controls, the seats, the guns. The girl couldn't help but already think of the many adventures Gabby, Ken, and her could go on. Maybe exploring the jungles of Sur'Kesh, or even driving through Rannochs plains. A smile spread across her face then as she jumped into the large driver's seat.

It was obvious the machine was never to be driven by a child, but that didn't put a damper in Lia's good mood. Wiggling her butt to sit on the very edge of the seat, Lia barely got her toes to press down on the petals hidden far underneath the button covered panel. Soon, Lia was flung into her imaginary adventure mode…complete with sound effects.

"Permission to join you on your mission Lia?"

Lia jumped in her sea before she quickly turned around onto her knees so she could peer over the back of the seat." Cortez! Of course!"

The man smiled before he joined Lia inside the Mako. He struggled a bit to move in the small space, but eventually he came to sit in the empty seat next to Lia. With a sigh he relaxed, then took the clipboard from underneath his arm and placed it onto his lap." So….where are we Lia?"

" Commander Lia!"

" Commander?"

Lia nodded firmly," I'm a Commander like my Daddy." She explained," And we're on Rannoch. We've just got a distress call from a super duper secret facility. They're under attack from….bad guys….and we've got to get over there and save the day!" She quickly explained, enthusiasm over-flowing from her voice and body language as she turned back to the Mako's wheel.

Cortez couldn't help but laugh as he watched the small girl. Shaking his head he spoke," I see I see. Though before we go on our mission….mind if I ask you a question Commander Lia?"

" Sure….but we've gotta hurry, the mission is at stake."

" You do know that it wouldn't be your rank and your first name right? It would be your rank and then your last name. So you'd be Commander Shepard. Also why Commander? Why not be a Major? Or an Admiral like your mother? After all she out-ranks your father."

Silence filled the Mako's cabin for a moment then before Lia turned to look at Cortez." Do you have to ruin it?"

The two remained staring at each other, Lia a bit irritated Cortez had to question the excited mood that Ken and Gabby usually played along too. Finally though, the human gave in and smiled," Orders Commander Lia?"

With a satisfactory nod, Lia's smile appeared back on her face." To the super duper secret facility!" With that she firmly pressed the biggest button on the console.

**~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~M~E~**

" Fine fine. I'll make you a deal." Tali raised a finger then as she looked over to her husband." If that Mako starts…..I'll help you get it into shape again." She gestured to the metal monster she'd come to hate.

Besides her John crossed his arms and looked over the vehicle, taking it in for a few long seconds before he nodded," And Lia gets to help us and go on a drive." He added before looking towards his wife.

Tali took a moment herself mulling it over. She quickly thought of how long it had been since the Mako was last driven, adding in the fact that it'd crash landed on a planet from space, and quickly came to a conclusion." Fine. Deal." She extended her hand out, her husband shaking it as they confirmed and cemented their deal.

To say the least they both jumped when they the Mako suddenly roared to life, a small squeak of surprise coming from inside the metal monster. They both stood there a little off-put for a moment, until they heard Lia from inside the Mako." I didn't mean to turn it on! I'm sorry! No wait! It wasn't me! It was Cortez Daddy! I swear!"

To say the least, John was grinning from ear to ear as Tali stood there, mouth gaping like a fish." How is that possible! It crash landed on a _planet_, from _orbit_! It hasn't been maintained or driven in _nine years_! How can this thing still…._work_!"

" Because." John laughed as if it was obvious," It's _my_ Mako. You wanna make another bet that it's drivable as is?"

" Bosh'tet."

* * *

**Author's Note: I've been getting a lot of questions and angry PMs about this fanfiction that I would like to answer here and now. This fiction will _never_ have a set update schedule due to the fact it is an….. 'outlet'. I only post in here when I have the urge, a writer's block, or an idea that's eating away at me. This means that one week there can be three new chapters then silence for a month. Also I would like it to be known I plan to write all the ideas and suggestions pitched so far.**

**But yes, had to give a little recognition to the Mako. Let's face it, the Hammerhead never compared, and while the Kodiak is cool (I mean it can go underwater *as stated by Cortez in the Leviathan DLC*), it lacked the mountains worth of charm the Mako had. Did you see my cheesy pun there? :D**

******Show love by faving, following, and reviewing.**


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